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Virginia Tech

Race, gender and omissions on standard achievement tests

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of race and gender on omissions in multiple choice tests. Modest but significant (p <= .05) correlations were observed between gender and omissions and between race and omissions on the mathematics subtest of the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency, a standardized achievement test administered to all eleventh graders in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Item characteristics (difficulty, discrimination and an index of differential item functioning) were used as independent variables in regression equations for the male/female case and the black/white case. In both cases item difficulty was the only significant (p <= .05) predictor of omissions. Principal components analysis was used to create composite variables characterizing school divisions. These composites together with race (proportion of black students) were used as independent variables in a regression equation with omissions as the dependent variable. Race was the only variable which was a significant predictor of omissions.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Educational Research and Evaluation
Department dc:contributor.department
Educational Research and Evaluation
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1991

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Pour, Robert L.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Cross, Lawrence H.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Keith, Timothy Z.
  • Wolfle, Lee M.
  • Mick, Harold W.
  • Frary, Robert B.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-10142005-103103
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39871

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Pour, Robert L.. Race, gender and omissions on standard achievement tests. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39871